Food & Philosophy: Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking

John C. Moskop, Ph.D., Wake Forest University School of Medicine,Winston-Salem, NC

As people in developed nations approach the end of life, they typically have several well-known health care options, including treatments intended to prolong life, treatments designed to relieve suffering and enhance quality of life, including hospice care for those who are eligible, and, in some jurisdictions, physician aid in dying via prescription or administration of lethal medications. Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is another end-of-life option that has, until recently, received relatively little attention in the United States. After a brief review of the broader context of death and dying, this presentation will examine central conceptual, moral, and policy questions about VSED.